The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada & Moncton Wildcats square off tonight for the right to face the Chicoutimi Saguenéens for the QMJHL’s Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Among many other competitors, this contest will feature a pair of highly-rated d-man draft prospects in the Armada’s Xavier Villeneuve (18th-ranked North Skater per NHL Central Scouting) and the Wildcats’ Tommy Bleyl (#17).
Villeneuve has been highly-ranked all season, and received the honor of being the first QMJHL player named to Team CHL for the CHL USA Prospects Challenge played earlier this season. He saw his stock dip slightly from a mid-term rank of #15, an injury costing him essentially the entire half of the regular season being the primary culprit. He does appear fully recovered, and his 13 playoff points (5G 8A) in 16 games are a byproduct o that. Due to his wizardry with the puck, smallish size (5’11” 162 LBS.), and overall high-end scoring potential, he frequently is compared to Montreal’s Lane Hutson and Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes. Defensively, he is considered by many as elite despite his size, due to a lightning-quick stick, excellent puck retrieval/protection skills, and great positioning.
Bleyl has taken a different development path, very similar to that of soon-to-be NCAA Minnesota forward Wyatt Cullen (#13). Like Cullen, Bleyl started the season as a projected 4th/5th round pick on NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch list. As the accolades have piled up due to his stellar play (Def. Rookie of the Year, and most points by a QMJHL d-man with 81), his draft stock has skyrocketed. Bleyl was ranked #35 in the mid-terms, and now is ahead of Villeneuve by one slot in the final rankings (5 slots behind Cullen). He has continued his many contributions to Moncton’s success in the playoffs, being tied for third among the QMJHL’s points leaders with 20, and first in assists (16).